Steelstown Primary School

Overview

This report details a Sustaining Improvement Inspection conducted in March 2018, noting that the school’s previous evaluation was “very good.” However, because staff participated in industrial action involving “non-co-operation with the Education and Training Inspectorate,” the inspectors were unable to fully assess the school’s performance. Consequently, the ETI states it is “unable to assure parents/carers... of the quality of education being provided for the children.”

Strengths

• The report notes that safeguarding arrangements “reflect broadly the guidance from the Department of Education.”
• Year 6 pupils reported that they “feel safe in school” and know “who to talk to if they have concerns about their safety or well-being.”
• The school previously held a “very good” overall effectiveness rating from March 2015.

Areas to improve

• The ETI was “unable to evaluate” the quality of learning and teaching within classrooms due to staff non-cooperation.
• The inspection could not assess the school’s capacity for improvement through self-evaluation or effective school planning.
• The school is designated as a “high priority for future inspection with no further notice.”

Safeguarding

The report states that while evidence showed arrangements broadly reflected Departmental guidance and pupils felt safe, the ETI was “unable to evaluate fully the outworking of the arrangements for safeguarding in the school” owing to the industrial action.